Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you from going to sleep and or prevents you from staying asleep. Millions of people have had some form of insomnia.
What can be done to help with this exasperating condition?
The first thing and probably the hardest thing to do, is to not worry about being awake. The more you worry the harder it is to fall asleep. I know first hand that not worrying about falling asleep is hard but you must try.
Cognitive behavior therapy is considered one of the best ways to help with insomnia. This type of therapy deals with changing the way you feel about things that may affect your sleeping. You may have misperceptions about how much time you need to sleep or other feelings or reactions that cause you to get less rest. After the therapy your perceptions will have changed and you should be ready to get some rest.
Typical CBT methods include relaxation training, biofeedback and sleep hygiene, which encourages a healthier lifestyle that discourages late night eating, smoking and drinking. Exercising is also a big part of sleep hygiene. See sleeping tips.
At one time medication was the only cure for insomniacs. But now medication isn’t considered a long term fix for sleeping disorders. There may be side effects with other medications and sleeping pills may cause other physical problems like high blood pressure, confusion and nausea.
If you have insomnia you need to go to your doctor in order to rule out any other serious ailments that may be having an adverse effect on your sleeping.